Abstract

Esophageal varices develop spontaneously because of obstruction to the return of the portal blood to the systemic venous system. The site of the portal bed block may be either in the liver, the intrahepatic type secondary to portal cirrhosis, or in the portal vein itself, the extrahepatic type, as seen in the so-called Banti's syndrome (table 1). The block in the former develops as a result of scarring in the liver parenchyma. It occurs most frequently in cases of alcoholic and other forms of toxic cirrhosis and is the more common type. Thrombosis of the hepatic vein is another cause